The ruling on declaring a specific man a disbeliever who commits acts of disbelief
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The ruling on declaring a specific man a disbeliever who commits acts of disbelief
Your Eminence! The scholars have disagreed on declaring a specific man a disbeliever who commits acts of disbelief, with some being strict and others lenient.Some of them say: If you see a man circling a grave, ask about his intention: Why is he circling it?And some of them say: Is he declared a disbeliever merely by seeing the man, especially if he knows about this matter? Do some people rebuke others for this? And what is your opinion on this matter?
I say: Perhaps you understand that in the Muslim community there are two extreme sects: the Khawarij and the Murji'ah.So the Khawarij say: They say that faith does not benefit in the presence of sin, and they declare every doer of a major sin a disbeliever.
And the Murji'ah say: They say that sin does not harm in the presence of faith, and they consider every sinner to be a believer with complete faith.
And likewise, in your time now, there are those drawn to the Murji'ah who have expanded in leniency in judging people, and there are those who have taken the stance of the Khawarij and have come to declare disbelief for every sin.
And it is obligatory to restrict declaring someone a disbeliever to what has come in the Book and the Sunnah; because the ruling of declaring someone a disbeliever is among the rulings that are received from Allah.So just as it is not permissible for us to say: This is obligatory and this is forbidden, except with evidence.It is not permissible to say: This is disbelief and this is faith, except with evidence.Then, if we say: This is disbelief, so we do not rule that every doer is a disbeliever; because he may be excused, or the truth may be confused upon him, or he may have committed this out of dire necessity. So we wait until we clarify the state of this person. If his state is clarified and it is known that the man has knowledge, but he was bold in doing what leads to disbelief; then we declare him a disbeliever.
The questioner: Do we rebuke one another?The Shaykh: Yes,It is known that we rebuke the extremist in this and say to him: Fear Allah regarding the servants of Allah. Do not declare a disbeliever one whom Allah the Mighty and Majestic has not declared a disbeliever, and do not be a Murji' regarding one whom Allah has not made a Murji'. This is the Book and the Sunnah upon which we walk.
Your Eminence! The scholars have disagreed on declaring a specific man a disbeliever who commits acts of disbelief, with some being strict and others lenient.Some of them say: If you see a man circling a grave, ask about his intention: Why is he circling it?And some of them say: Is he declared a disbeliever merely by seeing the man, especially if he knows about this matter? Do some people rebuke others for this? And what is your opinion on this matter?
I say: Perhaps you understand that in the Muslim community there are two extreme sects: the Khawarij and the Murji'ah.So the Khawarij say: They say that faith does not benefit in the presence of sin, and they declare every doer of a major sin a disbeliever.
And the Murji'ah say: They say that sin does not harm in the presence of faith, and they consider every sinner to be a believer with complete faith.
And likewise, in your time now, there are those drawn to the Murji'ah who have expanded in leniency in judging people, and there are those who have taken the stance of the Khawarij and have come to declare disbelief for every sin.
And it is obligatory to restrict declaring someone a disbeliever to what has come in the Book and the Sunnah; because the ruling of declaring someone a disbeliever is among the rulings that are received from Allah.So just as it is not permissible for us to say: This is obligatory and this is forbidden, except with evidence.It is not permissible to say: This is disbelief and this is faith, except with evidence.Then, if we say: This is disbelief, so we do not rule that every doer is a disbeliever; because he may be excused, or the truth may be confused upon him, or he may have committed this out of dire necessity. So we wait until we clarify the state of this person. If his state is clarified and it is known that the man has knowledge, but he was bold in doing what leads to disbelief; then we declare him a disbeliever.
The questioner: Do we rebuke one another?The Shaykh: Yes,It is known that we rebuke the extremist in this and say to him: Fear Allah regarding the servants of Allah. Do not declare a disbeliever one whom Allah the Mighty and Majestic has not declared a disbeliever, and do not be a Murji' regarding one whom Allah has not made a Murji'. This is the Book and the Sunnah upon which we walk.